In projection displays using LCOS or other LC panels, there is a need to compensate residual, OFF-state panel retardance to ensure sufficient contrast performance, because such residual in-plane retardance applied to incident optical rays can cause polarization mixing and lead to OFF-state leakage. In the case of large screen televisions based on LC panel projection, this leakage manifests itself as a bright dark-state and one that is often colored. When displaying dark video content, such leakage is very obvious and undesirable. Removing residual OFF-state retardance of the LC panels, or at least its adverse affect, can be achieved by introducing birefringent elements in front of the panel, which was described by U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2003/0128320, to Xiang-Dong Mi.
In general, compensators act first to remove residual in-plane OFF-state retardance of the panel, and second to reduce OFF-state light leakage due to the out-of-plane retardance which relates to field-of-view (FOV) performance of the LC layer. Removing the in-plane retardance is important, as it affects all incident light, since it corresponds to the extent to which the LC molecules are not aligned normal to the substrate or not balanced in their orientations when projected onto the panel plane. The substantial out-of-plane retardance alters the polarization state of off-axis rays, and acts to reduce the panel's field-of-view and in non-collimated systems leads again to OFF-state leakage. To get the high contrast demanded of current commercial video projection systems, both in-plane and out-of-plane compensation is desired.